San Pablo Villa de Mitla
San Pablo Villa de Mitla
Mitla | |
|---|---|
Town & Municipality | |
Church of San Pablo in Mitla | |
| Coordinates: 16°55′15″N 96°21′42″W / 16.92083°N 96.36167°W | |
| Country | Mexico |
| State | Oaxaca |
| Government | |
| • Municipal President | Jaciel García Ruiz (2008-2010) |
| Area | |
• Municipality | 82.93 km2 (32.02 sq mi) |
| Elevation (of seat) | 1,680 m (5,510 ft) |
| Population (2005) Municipality | |
• Municipality | 11,219 |
| • Seat | 7,829 |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (US Central)) |
| Website | (in Spanish) site |
San Pablo Villa de Mitla is a town and municipality in Mexico that is most famous for being the site of the Mitla archeological ruins. It is part of the Tlacolula District in the east of the Valles Centrales Region. The town is also known for its handcrafted textiles, especially embroidered pieces and mezcal. The town also contains a museum containing a collection of Zapotec and Mixtec cultural items. The name “San Pablo” is in honor of Saint Paul, and “Mitla” is a hispanization of the Nahuatl name “Mictlán.” This is the name the Aztecs gave the old pre-Hispanic city before the Spanish arrived and means “land of the dead.” It is located in the Central Valleys regions of Oaxaca, 46 km from the city of Oaxaca, in the District of Tlacolula.